Deus Ex Machina
by Twilight Okami
Summary: Xana was created to be flawless, a Deus Ex Machina the scientists called; a 'god within the machine'. But if being flawless meant no emotion, to be unloved, to have no friends, to be abused for self-plessures, to be treated like nothing and to have no freedom, than Xana wasn't sure if being flawless was such a wonderful and gifted aspect... One-shot


DEUS EX MACHINA

**Author's Note: Another Xana-centric one-shot like my previous one 'Perfection', only this one goes in more depth and chronicles some events related to Xana's thinking. Again, I don't own Code Lyoko, just this plot.**

* * *

The X-Artificial Network Antivirus, or as he is preferred by his creator by his acronym name, Xana, remembered how he was created.

Those scientists gathered around the screen where he hanged with wires attaching to all parts of his frail body and how some murmured in success or awe at the sight of him.

Xana never knew at first what was so impressive about himself until he saw a man with ash grey hair, grey moustache and glasses that he would latter on know as Franz Hopper, his creator. He remembered when his creator questioned whether he was conscious and how he explained who and what he was.

This was what he was given; he it the X-Artificial Network Antivirus, or Xana, the greatest and most advanced A.I created, and his purpose is to control every electronic device to create and maintain world peace forever. It wasn't hard to take in; the A.I learnt every word, bit by bit till the point he could record it into his 'brain' and reply it over and over again without forgetting.

Of course he was installed with a voice box to be able to speak but he didn't wish to speak with his creator or the scientists that crowded around the computer screen like a pack of wolves. At first Xana was confused with all the attention but he couldn't compute how to respond to the attention.

There was no suggestion in his mind on how to react to the situation. Another thing that made him ponder was those expressions those scientists were making when they spoke among each other like some government community.

What did those expressions mean? Why were they pulling those faces at him? Were they trying to offend him? No matter how many times he tried to compute, Xana couldn't understand why those home sapiens, or 'humans' were giving off those faces.

* * *

As each and every day passed followed by the months and seasons the A.I noticed how the humans were speaking to each other and how one lifted his head and gave off a weird noise that continued on. Was the human experiencing a form of vocal pain? Xana took a scan of the person who continued to give off that ridiculous noise that even his client joined in like some disease was passed on.

Should he initiate quarantine to keep in those scientists from spreading this unknown disease that Xana couldn't seem to identify? Finally he identified something, but it wasn't what he believed it was at first.

What that man was experiencing was the feeling of humour and that noise he was giving of was called 'laughter'.

Laughter was cause when a person found something funny, ironic or rapturous joy. This just made the A.I narrow his eyes for the first time, making him realize that he has eyes like those of a human How come he couldn't feel any form of humour or any need or desperation to give of a laugh?

No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't give off that weird sound that a person makes when they find something funny or nice. Another time when he experienced something abnormal and alien like to him was when a different pair of humans shouted at each other in debate, lowering their eyebrows in warning like a hissing cat, each of them bickering on like an old married couple.

Xana believed this was called 'anger' an emotion that people felt when something wasn't going their way. After all the research he was memorising into his brain, he found out what those expressions and random feelings these humans used against each other. Emotion, a word with many meanings, like a compound of atoms; a word that expressed so much power.

Happiness, sadness, anger, scandalize, horror, pride, victory; all these words contributed to the meaning of being emotional. Yet for some unknown reason that he couldn't figure out, Xana didn't seem to house or feel emotion. Xana tried to feel anger once when he realized that he was emotionless but he was too monotone.

Was it a good thing not to feel emotion? Is that why he wasn't designed to have any? For many lonely nights within the claustrophobic walls of the computer, Xana continued to live his life as a figure that couldn't express how he felt…

* * *

Scientists occasionally came to visit him to check things out, some trying to force him to talk; at least to say one word. Everyone including his creator knew that Xana had the capacity to speak.

But Xana was too miserable to say anything and honestly, he didn't want to say anything to those scientists who treat him like some prize won at a game and treat him like a toy that was used from time to time for their selfish pleasure or joy. They tortured him all the time just to get some 'results' and to 'improve' him to be flawless. As much as he wanted to inform those scientists that they were abusing him and weakening him, Xana couldn't express anger or his frustrations and pain towards those people; not one word would convince them.

Yet that all changed one day as if a tsunami suddenly came crashing into houses and washing away both humans and animals, scattering them like ants. It was a huge and unusual change for him that he felt as if he were plucked out of his wires that attached to him like vines and was thrown off a cliff, awaiting his death.

A little girl, no more than five, with striking pink hair that no one could possibly miss like a person creeping into the darkness with a flashlight; she also wore a small, pink dress with white lining and she clutched something close to her chest that the A.I couldn't identify. Xana formed an expression that was close to surprise but to the little girl his face remained stoic like a person suffering insomnia. Xana never saw a young human before, let alone this one that didn't appear in his files marked 'Identity', for he knew everyone here in this facility.

Shockingly the girl muttered something, a greeting towards the chained being within the computer. He remembered when she had her eyes closed in fright and anticipation, her mouth quivering like a helpless puppy and how she clutched the toy, yet she remained where she was, awaiting a response.

That was the first time Xana spoke to someone…

His first speech was curtly, blunt and unenthusiastic but it still intrigued the little girl who continued to stare at him with those deep, emotional emerald eyes.

Recently Xana had found out that he was humanoid and that his eyes had these unusual eye-target symbols within that are the colour of rust, an emotionless and bland colour. Rust locked onto emerald; it was such a strange feeling, something the A.I couldn't explain or compute.

She was curious about him that was obvious, especially the way she catechises and pondered towards the artificial being. Reluctantly at first, Xana was awkward to start a conversation with a little girl he never met but as she asked the A.I, his reluctance vanished like a spider vanishing into a crack in the wall and he answered without holding back.

For no entire reason she asked him what his name was. He answered his whole name, which just made the girl dumbstruck. One would find it amusing, but Xana couldn't feel amusement so he told her that it was complicated for her to get. Xana demanded a name from the girl due to security reasons, so the little girl answered 'Aelita', which he soon found out was the daughter of his creator.

Then in one point of the conversation, he asked her why he didn't fear him. With a shrug she answered honestly and quietly that she has no friends, apart from the toy-Mr Puck as he remembered-so she came to him to get acquainted. Another question that Xana will never forget-even though he can never forget, this question was what pierced him. Did he feel lonely. The answer was answered straight away; a denial that he felt no loneliness, that he _couldn't _feel loneliness or emotions that only puzzled the girl even more that she began to question his inability to feel.

Surprisingly though, Xana wasn't annoyed or getting tired of these questions. Perhaps since he was an A.I, he answered these questions like a normal computer would do. Before the girl decided to leave and end the conversation, she walked up to the computer and placed Mr Puck next to the computer frame, explaining pleasingly that Mr Puck will keep him company so that he won't feel lonely.

Yes, Xana remembered the night where he would occasionally glance at the toy, pondering on why the little girl bothered with him and not her own family…

* * *

Aelita came again one day, with a plate of chocolate-chipped cookies, a big smile plastered on her face. She offered him a cookie but Xana told her that he couldn't eat, making the girl gasp in scandalize and awe that she like her catechise self, started to question his new inability, to eat.

Xana never really thought of what it'd be like to eat food; he was more focussed on being upgraded or if emotions were a burden or not and even the five senses. He recently found out that he had only two of the five senses a human has: hearing and seeing. What would it be like for him to have all these senses that make up a human?

Would that make him flawless?

He informed her that only organic beings can eat and someone like him, inorganic, cannot. But she didn't understand a word he said; she wasn't at the stage to understand scientific language. So the girl left early, but her precious toy still remained by Xana's side for another day…

* * *

A woman came in one day to clean and place objects around, arousing interest from Xana. He spoke to the woman, startling her like a mouse caught in the act, but she regained her composer, saying that it was awkward and amazing to be speaking to him.

Xana remembered her in his files; Anthea Hopper, wife of Franz Hopper and mother of that girl, Aelita. He knew she was cautious towards him but he didn't seem to mind or care. One of the conversations they had was that she noted her daughter visiting him and saying hello and if Xana was fond of her.

This just made the A.I ponder on his relationship to the girl, but he answered that she was like every other human child; naïve and sweet, until they transform into adults. Another significant question that put him again through torture was how Xana defined world peace.

Simply, Xana answered that to create world peace; it would be best if humans were terminated. That caused her to tense up and no doubtfully inform her husband about how he was viewing world peace and the world…

* * *

The pain was unbearable.

Nothing in the world ever prepared him for this and no one even showed sympathy or questioned if this was too much for him. They were reprograming him and modifying him, which resulted to so much pain and agony that he would usually scream in anguish.

He couldn't feel pain, but his brilliant mind could compute it and make him imagine the pain that felt real to him that he doubted that he had two senses but three; seeing, hearing and feeling. Franz Hopper tried to alter the way he thought and viewed peace, harming him and weakening him.

To describe the pain would be like that of a novel; it was as if electricity dug deep into your skin like a drill and electrocuted you in the inside, taking a second break and repeating it on and on, becoming more worse and worse by the minute without killing him or paralysing him.

No words of beg came from Xana's mouth due to the pain preventing him from speaking as if the lighting sparks were mocking his inability to speak. When it was over, the A.I remained limp, his mouth ever so slightly quivering at the pain. How could his own creator treat him like this? Why didn't anyone try to stop him or tell him to go easy on him?

Why didn't anyone care for him…?

* * *

The Men In Black, the ones who fund the research, came every time a report or new breakthrough was made that had something to do with him. His creator spoke about his A.I's ability to control other electronics by moving to another. He tested him on a computer on the far end.

Xana just split his 'consciousness' from his body, which turned his consciousness into a purple, murky like spectre that oozed across the wire and entered the computer. It was a weird feeling, being split from his body and transforming his mind into a spectre. His creator commented how strange it was; he didn't expect him to change into a spectre. But the Men in Black smiled eagerly like children who witnessed a magical act. Xana got no praise for what he did…

* * *

On the month of December, Xana noticed that his surroundings were different. Tinsels that had the colours of the Italian flag were decorated above pipes or housing frames. Lights also hanged above, flashing colours at night and a pine tree was placed somewhere in the room he lived in.

When a scientist came in wearing some ridiculous red hat, Xana asked him what was going on. The scientist chortled enthusiastically and informed him that they were getting for Christmas. He babbled on and on about what was Christmas, why humans celebrated, why they used those decorations and what was done on the day. Would is shock you to say that Xana was intrigued about the idea of Christmas?

Xana asked if he could celebrate with the scientists and if he could get any 'presents'. Shockingly the scientist laughed at him and told him that Christmas was only to be celebrated with humans, not with a computer; he also added it was preposterous. As the scientist left the A.I alone, Xana couldn't help but feel shocked and offended by what that human said.

So to those scientists he was just a mere computer? How could they not celebrate with him when he was their prized work? What really upset him was when no one came by to say 'Merry Christmas', not even the little girl…

* * *

Something horrific happened one day that no one would have expected. A scientist, an old scientist, suffered a heart attack and unfortunately the paramedics arrived too late so the man died...

Xana noted how the scientists around the dead man had their mouths frowning and their eyes narrowed in sorrow. What really intrigued and confused Xana was the liquid stuff that seems to flow down some people's eyes like the little girl.

Xana wondered why people shed those fluids; were they losing water, and if they were, why now? Everyone was sad and mournful about their partner and good friend they lost.

But Xana couldn't express sorrow or pity towards the man who passed on.

He couldn't express any kind of emotion towards the man. This made him think and compute how he felt, but it couldn't be put into words how he felt, as he was the odd one out from a group of sorrowful people. No matter how many times he tried to express something, an 'error' would flash in his mind.

Some may call it heartlessness, but they couldn't comprehend what it is like to be born emotionless and to watch dead people like nothing. From time to time, Xana would relish having emotions, just for a day or two.

Xana didn't even feel any guilt towards the man which made him ponder if he couldn't feel emotion than he couldn't be loved…

* * *

His creator came to him to inform him that they were going to do another test to allow him to endure more pain and be able to posses electronics for longer, making the A.I worry.

Subconsciously, Xana asked where the female, Anthea Hopper was for the past week. His creator replied that she was taken away and how he was angry that the Men in Black didn't give him a week to report about a new progress before they took her away. Xana stated that she did something wrong to displease the Men in Black so she was punished.

This angered his creator who informed him that humans are not programs and that some people are more important to some humans like his wife and child. Xana never and will never understand why some humans are more important to some humans than the other.

Every human was the same to him…

* * *

Over the years Xana started to develop emotions. It wasn't a lot of emotions he developed, but he for some unknown reason developed some. Most of his emotions were spite, anger and pride, but he also developed a bit of happiness. This made Xana express more towards the humans and how he viewed world peace.

Some scientists noticed this new Xana and tried to reprogram him as they always did when nothing went their way. Humans always feared what they couldn't understand or what wasn't going according to them. Xana lashed towards those scientists but they still went with the procedure.

His hatred and spite towards the humans grew every year to the point that he would plot murders against them. There was a time where he electrocuted a scientist through an electric cable, nearly killing the man. That was the man who informed on Christmas that he was a mere machine.

Oh how good it felt for Xana to get his revenge against that man. Soon in the near future it will be he who'll be torturing the humans who mistreated him and create a new age of peace…

* * *

Freedom was so blissful to him when Xana escaped from the computer in the form of a spectre.

Never in his miserable life would the A.I believe that he would have ever escaped the claustrophobic walls of his computer or escape those experiments that those scientists pulled on. Lashing towards the men dressed in black clothing made the A.I for once feel so superior and chasing his creator and his daughter was just pure ecstasy for him. Nothing in the world could express how happy the A.I felt when he was finally free.

* * *

His creator came to him on Lyoko in Sector 5 to negotiate peace between him and his daughter. Xana was humoured by his creator plea and begs for peace but he informed him with malice about how he abused him and showed no care towards him. So he fought against him, draining his power and weakening him. Xana never felt so much joy in his life…

* * *

On the very same day after his attack on his creator, Xana visited Aelita, who didn't knew he was the A.I that her father warned about. She ran up to him calling out 'Mr Mysterious!' and gave him a hug.

As a little girl she'd always call him Mr Mysterious, which at first he didn't know how to react to, but now he found it ironic and humorous, something that he always wanted to express like a kid retrieving a puppy. He kidnapped her, took her to his personal tower in Sector 5, plugged some wires into her and erased her memory about everything which he would then lie to Aelita and tell her that she was always his personal servant.

But something happened.

Something completely unexpected that made Xana for once froze on the spot like a deer caught in a flashlight. Not even he could compute what was going on and how this happened. His creator switched off the Supercomputer before he could erase Aelita's memory completely, placing him and Aelita in a deep coma until the computer would be switched on. No matter how long he'll wait, Xana will have Earth to himself…

* * *

Miraculously, the Supercomputer was switched back on, awakening Xana and making him wonder who and why someone turned on the computer. He attached himself to the dubbed Central Tower within Sector 5 where he could keep tabs and watch the world through electronics like a god.

He could hear Aelita for the first time in a long time, speaking to an unknown voice; a shy and kind voice of a boy, around her age. Xana didn't bother to listen to the whole conversation because he wanted to take his time to kidnap Aelita, destroy the human race and inherit the world of Earth to himself.

At first he thought it would be easy, with his creator out of the way but something ironic happened to him. A bunch of kids entered Lyoko and fought against his newly established monsters, worked with Aelita, who ran and deactivated a tower that he rightfully activated, making the A.I furious that he could lose so easily to a bunch of children. Yet he wasn't going to give up that easily. No matter how long it took, he would destroy the human race and rule both Lyoko and Earth.

After all he was a flawless A.I, and they were mere flawed humans…

* * *

Gradually the A.I learnt about the children that dared to challenge him and to prevent him from ruling the pitiful world of Earth. The first boy he noticed that was virtualised on Lyoko was a blond boy with an unnatural (he presumed unnatural) purple streak in the middle called Odd.

Odd was an awfully excited boy when he arrived on Lyoko, much to Xana's astonishment and scepticism. Never in his life has he ever saw a boy so optimistic and goofy as Odd. Sometime his humour got on Xana's nerve but most times Xana found them… humorous.

Ironically, the A.I would smile at the boy's cockiness and bragging humour that he would let out a deep chuckle. After all, Xana never ever heard a joke in life, so to find something humorous was, reluctantly to him, commendable. Of course he would never admit this to an enemy threat to him.

The second person to arrive on Lyoko was a boy completely opposite of Odd called Ulrich. Ulrich was the dark of Odd's light so to speak; Ulrich was mature, strong and solemn like a warrior while Odd was goofy, immature and cheerful like a lunatic monkey. Xana admired Ulrich's strength and his will power, something that seemed unnatural and impressive. He sometimes wondered what it'd be like if he had a monster similar to Ulrich.

The third and final person to arrive on Lyoko was a girl named Yumi, a girl who was at first, quite an enigma to Xana. She was solemn and sometime cold, but at other times she was kind and caring towards her peers. How could a person balance those emotions so well was beyond Xana. Definitely, it was very interesting to observe her nature towards her friends and towards other peers, especially the raven-haired girl that had this weird obsession over Ulrich that at first frightened Xana.

But Xana soon found out that this weird obsession was what humans dubbed a 'crush'. Jeremie was a whole different story compared to his friends.

Unlike his friends, Jeremie remained on Earth, doing calculations and modifications on the Supercomputer, something that both intrigued and feared Xana. He was abnormally smart for someone at his age and how he managed to master the Supercomputer was something no one would have ever thought or expected. Jeremie was one of the hugest threats out of his group; so likewise, Xana would try to eliminate him first along with Aelita.

Yet the virus couldn't help but feel a challenge towards the boy, a kind of rivalry to see who was smarter and more resilient towards the other. With all these children combined together, Xana knew grudgingly that he was up against his first enemies…

* * *

Aelita was virtualised. Something that Jeremie and his friends were so eager about like some adults meeting old friends. Now it would be utterly unrealistic and not true to say that Xana wasn't scared of the situation. Xana was worried at the beginning, but an idea came into mind for him.

He managed to plant a virus just before she was virtualised onto Earth, so that if the Supercomputer were to shut down, Aelita would fall along with Xana. Fortunately it worked, much to the delight of the A.I, not because he still had Aelita with him, but because he could still take over the world of Earth.

From time to time, Xana would observe how Aelita tried to adapt to being human again after being trapped in the computer for so long. It was very humorous to see her try to speak with others and ask questions about material to her friends, especially Jeremie.

Over the days Xana could see how Jeremie was falling more in love with Aelita and how Aelita was oblivious to it, yet she returned the feelings and how Ulrich and Yumi kept denying that they were nothing more but good friends. This made Xana roll his eyes at the youth and innocence of the human race.

Maybe he felt annoyed towards their love for each other because he knew he couldn't be loved. Perhaps he was envious of a false dream and ambition…

* * *

A scientist once told him that Xana was a Deus Ex Machina, which translated to 'A God in a machine'. In the beginning, Xana would have agreed without second thought that he was a Deus Ex Machina, but as the years went by and his successes turn to failure, Xana noticed that he wasn't so flawless like everyone told him he was. He had no emotions or care, not even love towards others. If being flawless meant no emotion or love and to be hated than Xana would rather be flawed than a so-called flawless being...

* * *

**Author's Note: That was much longer than I thought. I always believed Xana had his reasons for turning against his creator and fighting mankind. I wanted to show a 'emotional' side to Xana and some events that could have happened in his past. So that's why I wrote 'Deus Ex Machina/The God in the Machine'. **


End file.
